8 | National News REPORT | Clear your names, corruption suspects told Senators allege plot to kick out auditor Scheme hatched to paint Dr Ouko in bad light, seek his ouster, claim leaders BY DENNIS ODUNGA @dennis_odunga dodunga@ke.nationmedia.com T here are plans to force the Auditor-General out of office in the guise of incompetence to frustrate the fight against alleged misuse of public funds, a group of senators has claimed. The lawmakers said the criticism of Dr Edward Ouko by senior government officials is a deliberate attempt to whip up emotions among MPs to support the ouster bid when the matter comes before the National Assembly. Finance Committee vice- chairman Peter Mositet (Kajiado, TNA) and Mr Mong’are Bw’okong’o (Nyamira, Ford-K), among others, said the independence of the Auditor-General’s office should be respected. The senators wondered MORE INFO PAC chairman faults critics Criticism: Public Accounts Committee chairman Nicholas Gumbo (Rarieda, ODM) is alarmed by the criticism of the report. Defend: He faulted the National Treasury Cabinet secretary for defending ministries. Mandate: MP said Auditor-General’s office was discharging its mandate. “There is a scheme to remove Dr Ouko on (the) grounds that he is underperforming. There is a bid to water down the powers of the office. This is corruption fighting back. “Leaders should stop po- liticising his noble duty of pointing out the misuse of public funds,” said Mr Mositet at a press conference at Parliament. why the people doubting the accuracy of the report could not wait to present their views before the relevant parliamentary committees. “The Public Accounts Committees in both Houses are handling the audit queries emerging from the AuditorGeneral’s report. The people mentioned adversely would have an opportunity to clear their names. Why the panic?” he said. Mr Bw’okong’o faulted Dep- uty President William Ruto for calling for a fresh audit of the national and county governments’ accounts. “Parliament has three months to interrogate the audit reports. People with issues should appear before the House committees instead of concluding that what the auditors did was a sham,” said Mr Bw’okong’o, a member of the Senate County Public Accounts and Investment Committee. The senators said the culture of leaders defending corruption suspects risks plunging the country into anarchy. CAR THEFT |Man denies charges DAILY NATION Wednesday August 5, 2015 Anti-graft agency fights Sh10m claim BY NATION REPORTER The anti-corruption commission is fighting a Sh10 million legal fee award to two companies associated with businessmen Kamlesh Pattni and Ketan Somaia. In a suit, the commission argues that a High Court deputy registrar, who determined the amount at the conclusion of a Goldenberg-related case, illegally condemned it to pay Marshalls East Africa Ltd and Delphis Bank Ltd Sh5.2 million each in costs. The registrar failed to consider that the case involved public funds lost in the Goldenberg scandal, the commission argues. Goldenberg case Its lawyer, Mr Ben Murei, urged Justice Joseph Sergon to set aside the award on the grounds that the deputy registrar failed to consider that the two companies were not directly affected by the Goldenberg case. The judge will deliver a ruling on October 2. The dispute dates back to 2003, PAUL WAWERU | NATION Jackson Kinuthia Chege alias James Kariuki Kavanga in a Nairobi court yesterday where he was charged with stealing a motor vehicle worth Sh650,000. He was also charged with forgery, obtaining money by false pretence s and uttering a false document. He denied the charges and was released on a cash bail of Sh 300,000. Case was fixed for hearing on August 17, 2015. when the defunct Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission filed a petition against Mr Pattni, Mr Somaia and 13 companies associated with them in a bid to recover funds lost in the Goldenberg scandal. It lost the case and in 2010, the deputy registar determined the Sh10.4 million legal fees.